Automatic loading and unloading bale wagon

ABSTRACT

A wagon has rotatable storage compartments for receiving rows of bales, an endless loading conveyor below the lowest position to which the compartments are successively rotated, and a pick-up endless conveyor pivotally mounted in front of the loading conveyor. The chassis of the wagon supporting the storage compartments is pivoted on a wheeled chassis. The two chasses are aligned for transportation or are positioned at an angle for field operation; in the latter position, the pick-up conveyor lifts bales that are along one side of the path traveled by a tractor connected to the draw bar of the wagon. The rotatable storage compartments comprise a rotor resembling an elongated paddle and a fixed support that is semi-circular in cross section; the fixed support is mounted slightly below the positions of the compartments while their open sides are facing downwardly and support the bales until the compartments are rotated until the bales are supported only by the rotor.

United States Patent [1 1 Sunderman AUTOMATIC LOADING AND UNLOADING BALEWAGON [76] Inventor: Lavern C. Sunderman, R.R. No. 3,

Box 207, Clarinda, Iowa 51632 [22] Filed: Nov. 1, 1971 [21] Appl. No.:194,672

52] us. (:1 214/519, 198/7 BL, 198/103 51 Int. Cl. 860p 1/36 58 Field ofSearch ..214/5I9, 522,518,

214/38 A; 198/7 EL [5 6] References Cited Pri niary Ex I r ine r- GeraIdM. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Kenneth Noland Attorney-+1. RobertHenderson et: a1.

[ 5 7] ABSTRACT A wagon has rotatable storage compartments for receivingrows of bales, an endless loading conveyor below the lowest position towhich the compartments are successively rotated, and a pick-upendlessconveyor pivotally mounted in front of the loading conveyor. The chassisof the wagon supporting the storage compartments is pivoted on a wheeledchassis. The two chasses are aligned for transportation or arepositioned at an angle for field operation; in the latter position, thepick-up conveyor lifts bales that are along one side of the pathtraveled by a tractor connected to the draw bar of the wagon. Therotatable storage compartments comprise a rotor resembling an elongatedpaddle and a fixed support that is semi-circular in cross section; thefixed support is mounted slightly below the positions of thecompartments while their open sides are facing downwardly and supportthe bales until the compartments are rotated until the bales aresupported only by the rotor.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJAN 11m SHEET 1 BF 3 Fl c.. 1

F'IC. 5

INVENTOR.

LAVERN C. SUNDERMAN 5g, M 4.0%

Attorney 150 SHEE PAIEN PATENTEDJAN H974 3.782570- sum 3 OF 3 INVENTORLA VERN C- SUNDE RMAN BY QM M 2W AUTOMATIC LOADING AND UNLOADING BALEWAGON BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates "toimprovements in automatic loading and unloading bale wagons.

Commonly, bales of either hay or straw are loaded from a machine into awagon where they are arranged manually, or they are first dischargedfrom a machine onto the ground and later have to be manually picked upand placed into a loader or directly into a wagon. In either event, thebales are likely to be distributed or loaded in the wagon manually.

A machine for picking up and loading bales automatically is shown in US.Pat. No. 2,867,340 issued to G.R. Brownlee et al. on Jan. 6, 1959. Alarge drum is mounted on rollers at the top of a wheeled chassis, and ithas dividers for forming longitudinal compartments for rows of bales. Afront pick-up conveyor is a screw conveyor slanting downwardly to theground to pick up the bales and moves them to a long loading screwconveyor along the bottom of the wagon. The loading conveyor fits in alongitudinal slot in the outer wall of the drum along a selected one ofthe compartments that has been positioned downwardly opposite theconveyor by rotation of the drum. When the loading conveyor receives thebales that have been started in the end of the selected compartment bythe pick-up conveyor, it moves them rearwardly along the slot on theinner surface of the outer wall of the drum, and when this compartmentis filled, the drum including its outer wall will be rotated until anempty compartment is aligned with the loading screw conveyor. Themachine includes a complicated arrangement for moving the loading screwconveyor outwardly or downwardly when selecting a different compartmentso that it does not interfere with rotation of the drum.

An earlier U.S. Pat. No. 2,761,578 issued to the same inventors on Sept.4, 1956 also shows a revolving drum,

but a reciprocating arm rather than a pickup screw conveyor is shown forpushing bales into the drum. A belt conveyor is positioned below acompartment that is in its uppermost position for unloading the wagon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION wheels and the frame of the wagon ismounted on a pivot between the wheels. A hydraulic cylinder is connectedlaterally between the chassis and frame to change the position of theframe from a transporting position where it is straight longitudinallyon the chassis to a field position where it is rotated to make an acuteangle with the chassis.

A pick-up conveyor is pivotally mounted to the front of the wagon topermit the front of the conveyor to be lowered to the ground when theframe of the wagon is being rotated from a straight position to thefield position. While the wagon is being rotated from the field positionto the straight, transporting position, one side of the frame of thepick-up conveyor engages a V- shaped draw bar attached to the front ofthe chassis, and the bar functions as an inclined plane for the side ofthe pick-up conveyor to raise the conveyor upwardly while it is beingpositioned nearly horizontally over the draw bar.

The main portion of the wagon comprises a plurality of movable,elongated storage compartments for rows of bales. An endless chain typeconveyor with cross pieces moves along the bottom of the wagon to loadthe storage compartments successively as the compartments are rotatedinto a loading position over the loading conveyor. The piclc'up conveyorapproaches bales on the ground and conveys them upwardly and rearwardlyto the front end of the loading conveyor.

The storage compartments are defined by dividers that extend radiallyfrom a rotatable, central shaft such that the configuration of an inner,main support for the rows of bales resembles an elongated paddle wheel.The main supporting shaft is rotatably mounted on its longitudinal axis,and after a compartment between adjacent dividers has been filled, thecompartments as defined by the dividers are rotated to push the baleslaterally off the loading belt conveyor to an arcuate outer support thatsubtends only the lower half of the inner support. As the compartmentsare rotated upwardly, the bales become supported entirely by thedividers and the structure that interconnects the inner edges of thedividers. An outer wall is not required above the compartments.

The conveyors are operated in a. reverse direction to unload the wagon.Since the bales can be discharged from the pick-up conveyor directly toanother conveyor at a storage building, the bales can be handledentirely by machine to move them from their location in a field to a haybarn.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevational view ofthe bale wagon according to this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view talten between the tandemwheels of FIG. I and viewed from the front to show the pivotal mountingof the wagon;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front view to show lateral DESCRIPTION OF THEIRIEFERRED EMBODIMENT As shovim in FIGS. l and d, the storagecompartments for rows of bales comprise a rotatable member 11 and anouter, fixed supporting and guiding member 12 subtending approximatelythe lower one-half portion of the rotary member. A center shaft 113 ofthe to tary member Ill has afront journal and bearing l4 supported by afront portion of the frame of the wagon including an upper, horizontalmember l5 and a plurality of truss members Mr connected to a pair oflower, main, longitudinal I-bearns 1'7 and I8 (FIG. 4). A hydraulicmotor 19 is coupled through a gear reduction train 20 to the front endof the shaft I3 to rotate the shaft under the control of a manuallyoperated hydraulic valve control assembly 21 (FIG. I) that is placedwithin easy reach of the operator of a tractor connected to the draw bar58. The rear end of the shaft 13 has a rear journal and bearing 22supported on a horizontal member 23 shown in FIG. and truss members 24connected to the rear ends of the I-beams l7 and 18.

Preferably, the frame of the main rotatable member 11 has a shaft 13 anda plurality of radial supports 25 (FIG. 4) fabricated from iron pipe anda plurality of rings 26 fabricated from flat iron bars. As shown inFIGS. 1 and 4, the radial supports comprise equal spaced pipes extendingradially in three transverse planes positioned respectively at themiddle and the ends of the shaft. The radial supports 25 extend throughequally-spaced holes in the rings 26 and are welded thereto, thediameter of the rings and the spacing of the radial supports aredetermined so that bales can rest on supporting surfaces defined by theadjacent radial supports outside the rings. The radial supports 25 inthe different transverse planes are in alignment to formlongitudinalplanes, and longitudinal supports or pipes 27 (FIGS. 4 and5) are welded to the outer ends of the aligned radial supports 25 thatare in the same longitudinal planes but in different ones of thetransverse planes. A satisfactory supporting surface for bales consistsof woven wire 28 (FIG. 5) laid on one side of each of the planes definedby three aligned radial supports 25 and a respective longitudinal pipe27, contin' ued over the longitudinal pipe and back over the other sideof the plane and then along a portion of the cylinder between adjacentlongitudinal planes as defined by the rings 26 to the adjacent planedefined by the radial supports, and then the wire is continued in a likemanner until compartments with three sides are formed between all theadjacent radial supports 25. The wire is tied by quite closely spacedloops 29 as shown in FIG. 2 to the frame members 25 and 27 and to therings 26 of the rotatable frame 11. Also, adjacent portions of the wire28 are tied together at quite closely spaced points along lines joiningaligned radial members where they intersect the rings 26.

Each side of the frame of the bale wagon also includes an upper,longitudinal supporting side member 30 (FIG. 5) at about the same heightas the shaft 13 and spaced a short distance outside the path of rotationof the radim dividers of the rotatable member ill. The side members 30are supported by upwardly extending members 31 secured to the I-beams 17and 18 by iron bars 32 that extend outwardly from the I-beams and arereinforced by slanting angle pieces (not shown).

The outer support 12, on which bales are supported while the open sidesof the bale compartments of the rotatable member 11 are facingdownwardly, is corrugated galvanized steel plate formed in an inwardlycurving arc to conform to the path of rotation of the storagecompartments. The upper edge of the corrugated steel plate on each sideof the wagon is fastened to the respective upper longitudinal sidemember 30 and the lower portion of each side is attached to an adjacentI-beam l7 and 18. The direction of the corrugations of the outer support12 is circumferential to facilitate the sliding of the bales along theinside surface of the outer support by rotation of the rotatable member1 1.

An endless, chain-type loading conveyor 33 (FIGS. 4 and S) is mountedalong the bottom of the bale wagon between the l-beams l7 and i8, and itis centered below the rotatable storage compartments a short distancebelow the path of rotation of the outer, longitudinal frame members 27of the rotatable member 11. A front, transverse shaft 354 of theconveyor is rotatable mounted between the I-beams 17 and 18 and iscoupled to a reversible, hydraulic motor 35. The motor is controlledmanually by the hydraulic valve control assembly 21 to move a row ofclosely spaced bales rearwardly to load a compartment defined by thewoven wire 28, or forwardly to unload a compartment that is centeredover the loading conveyor.

The moving portion of the conveyor 33 includes a flat, endless, linkchain as along each side of the conveyor (FIG. 4), and a pair ofsprocket wheels 63 secured to the front, transverse shaft 34. Rear idlersprocket wheels (not shown) are mounted between the l-beams 17 and 118at the rear of the wagon to support the pair of chains 36 in the usualendless arrangement. A flat, smooth sheet of metal 337 is mountedbetween the upper portions of the l-beams 1'7 and 18 such that it isslightly below the upper portion of the chains 36 to provide a smooth,sliding surface. The bales that are being conveyed are supported andpushed by pieces of pipe 38 welded in place at equal intervalstransversely between the pair of chains 36. The pieces of pipe welded tothe chain support and guide the bales as they are being pushed laterallyby the dividers of the rotatable member Il while a different compartmentis being positioned over the loading conveyor 33..

The compartments of the rotary member 11 are usually rotated in only onepredetermined direction. The levels of the bottom edges of the outersupporting member 12 adjacent each edge of the loading conveyor 33 arefixed according to the direction of rotation. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and5, when the direction of rotation of the member 111 is counterclockwiseas viewed from the front of the wagon, that portion of the outersupporting member I2 near the left edge of the loading conveyor 33 has aguide plate 35? extending from the inner surface of the supportingmember H2 at a level at least as high as the upper surfaces of theexposed transverse pipes 38 and preferably overlapping the adjacent endsof the pipes. While the bale wagon is being unloaded, the guide plate 39will guide bales smoothly onto the transverse pipes 38 of the conveyor.The portion of the outer supporting member 323 adjacent the oppositeedge of the conveyor 33 is substantially below the level of the exposedpipes 386 of the conveyor to facilitate lateral movement of the balesoff the conveyor when the wagon is being loaded.

Bales are conveyed either to the loading conveyor 33 while loading orfrom the loading conveyor while unloading by the pick-up conveyor d ll(FIGS. 5 and 7). Each side of the frame of the pick-up conveyor 40 ispivotally mounted by a driven shaft A l to the front ends of the I-beamsI7 and It; so that the front end of the pick-up conveyor 4d can belowered to the ground to ride on a front mounted castor 423 (FIG. l).The shaft 41 (FIG. '7) is driven through a sprocket and chain drive 43from the loading conveyor shaft 34 that is connected to the reversiblehydraulic motor 35.

Bales are carried from their location on the ground to the loadingconveyor by a single endless chain'M located centrally between the sidesd9 of the frame of the pick-up conveyor. The chain passes over an idlersprocket wheel 45 at the lower end of the conveyor and over a drivingsprocket wheel 46 secured to the central portion of the shaft 451 thatis coupled to the adjacent driving shaft 34 of the loading conveyor 33.Teeth 47 project outwardly about one or two inches and are spacedsomewhat less than a foot apart along the chain such that they catchsufficiently on a bale that is being approached to lift the bale andconvey it rearwardly. The teeth are most conveniently made of steel andare welded to the steel links of the chain. A side rail 48 is mountedabove each of the sides 419 of the pick-up conveyor, and the front endsof the side rails are spread outwardly to guide bales onto the conveyor.A roller 50 is mounted beneath the side 49 to engage a portion of aconnecting member of the draw bar to raise the pick up conveyor asdescribed below.

The wagon is pivotally mounted on a chassis so that the wagon isrotatable from a transporting position (FIG. ll) in which the chassisand the frame of the wagon are in alignment to a field position (FIG. 5)in which the frame of the wagon is at an acute angle to the chassis. Inthe field position, the front end of the pickup conveyor travels to liftbales from a path slightly to one side of the path of the tractor thatis pulling the wagon.

As shown in FIG. 2, a lower plate 51 of a pivotal mounting is connectedto a wheeled chassis 52, and a plate 53 is rotatably mounted on theplate 51 to support the I-beams l7 and 18 that are the main members ofthe frame of the bale wagon. the plates 51 and 53 rotate about aretaining pin 54 disposed through the center of the plates.

The draw bar assembly of the wheeled chassis includes three roundmembers 55-57 (FIGS. 4 and 7), the members extend forwardly from eachend and the center respectively of a cross member (not shown) attachedto the wheel assembly of the wagon and terminate in a draw bar 58. Thefront ends 59 and 60 of the side members 55' and 56 respectively areturned inwardly toward the center member to form a triangle opposite thepicleup conveyor 40..

In addition to the main upward support supplied to the frame of thewagon by the pivotal plates 51 and 53, a transverse bar 64 (FIG. 6) iswelded to the lower surfaces of the front portions of the l-beams l7 and18 to slide over the round members 55-S7. in FIG. 6, the frame of thewagon is shown in the field position in which the bar 64 bears on themembers 55 and 57 and it will also ride on member 56 when the wagon isin the transporting position. In order to prevent the front end of thewagon from bouncing upward from the chassis 52, a bar 61 is positionedbelow the chassis members 55-5? on a transverse line located in front ofthe wheels of the chassis and back of the bar 64', the ends of the bar61 are connected to the frame of the wagon at points that are fartherapart than the distance between the side members 55 and 56 of thechassis to permit rotation between the transporting and field positions.

The wagon is rotated on the chassis 52 between a transporting positionand a field position by operation of a double-acting hydraulic actuator62 (FIG. 7) connected between the chassis member 56 and the I-beam 17 ofthe wagon. The actuator is connected to the hydraulic valve controlassembly 21., the assembly being operable in one control position toextend the piston of the actuator for rotating the wagon to the fieldposition according to (FIG. 5) and operable to another control 6position to retract the piston of the actuator for rotating the wagon tothe transporting position according to (FIG. 1). While the wagon isbeing rotated to the field position on the chassis, the roller 5%);(FIG. 7 attached to the underside of theframe member 49 of the pick-upconveyor 40 follows the diagonal front end 59 of the adjacent chassismember 55 to lower the front end of 5 the pick-up conveyor, and whilethe wagon is being ro' tated from the field position to the transportingposition, follows the chassis portion 59 to raise the front end of thepick-up conveyor.

While the wagon is in the field position and a bale is contacted by thefront of the pick-up conveyor 40, a respective control lever on thehydraulic valve control assembly 21 is operated to start the pick-upconveyor and the loading conveyor 33. As soon as the bale is completelyon the pick-up conveyor, the control lever of the assembly 21 is againoperated to stop the conveyors until the next bale is contacted. In thismanner the bales are loaded close together in rows. When a compartmentin the main rotatable member is full, a respec tive control lever of thehydraulic valve control assembly 21 is operated to start operation ofthe'motor 19 for causing the rotatable member ll to rotate and to forcea row of bales to move toward one side and upwardly one-eighth of arevolution in a manner shown in FIG. 3 until the next empty compartmentis positioned over the conveyor. The capacity of a model of the presentbale wagon is 56 square or round bales in eight compartments of thewagon plus two bales on the pick-up conveyor.

When the compartments are full and two bales are resting on the pick-upconveyor, the respective control lever of the assembly 21 that isconnected to a valve for controlling the actuator s2 is operated.Operation of the actuator returns the wagon to its transporting positionfor hauling the bales from the field. At a hay barn, the loadingconveyor is operated to move in the opposite direction and the rotatablymember llll is rotated in the same direction one-eighth of a revolutionafter each row of bales is unloaded.

Mechanical or electro-mechanical control devices for sensing positionsof the bales may be connected to the hydraulic control valves to startand to stop the conveyors automatically during loading. However, thelittle added convenience may not warrant the extra expense. The use ofmechanical devices for controlling operation is shown in US. Pat. No.2,867,340 to which reference has been made above.

When the wagon is being pulled in the field to pick up and load balesfrom the front of the wagon, an end gate is removably attached to therear of the wagon to function as a stop at the end of the compartmentthat is positioned over the loading conveyor 33. The and gate can bereadily removed, and the loading conveyor 33 operated in the directionto move bales from the rear to the front of the wagon for loading balesfrom the rear of the machine in the field and most appropriately fromstorage in the winter. Likewise, the bales can be unloaded from the rearto an elevator or to a feed lot.

I claim:

1. An automatic loading and unloading bale wagon comprising:

an elongated frame, a plurality of rotatable storage compartmentsmounted on said elongated frame, aconveyor, said conveyor having apick-up section pivoted on a horizontal axis to the front of saidelongated frame and a loading section disposed longitudinally withinsaid elongated frame, a wheeled chassis,

a pivotal mounting on said wheeled chassis, said elongated frame beingsupported on said pivotal mounting, controllable means to rotate saidelongated frame on said chassis between a straight transporting positionand an angular field position in which said pick-up section ispositioned to travel at one side of the path of travel of said wheeledchassis, said storage compartments comprising a rotatable frame shapedlike an axially elongated paddle wheel mounted on its axislongitudinally above said elongated frame, an outer supporting memberalong each side of said elongated frame, each of said outer supportingmembers having an arcuate lateral cross section and spaced diametralridges with their respective lower ends adjacent said loading section ofsaid conveyor and extending in a curved line upwardly near saidrotatable frame to a height approximately even with the axis thereof. 2.A bale wagon as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conveyor is an endlessflat type conveyor, controllable motor means connected to said rotatableframe to ro-. tate said storage compartments in only one direction, saidouter supporting member over which each of said storage compartmentspass as they approach said conveyor having a lower inner edgeeffectively above said loading section of said conveyor, and the otherof said outer supporting members on the opposite side of said conveyorhaving a bottom inner edge effectively below the upper surface of saidloading section of said conveyor.

3. A bale wagon as claimed in claim I wherein said pick-up section ofsaid conveyor includes an endless flat conveyor having a pair of sideframe members, a guide rail along the upper side of each of said framemembers, said wheeled chassis has a V-shaped draw bar with its apexadapted for coupling to a tractor and its opposite ends connected torespective sides of the front end of said wheeled chassis, whereby oneof said side frame members of said pi'ck-up section of said conveyorengages an adjacent portion of said draw bar to raise it to asubstantially level position for transportion as said frame is rotatedon said wheeled chassis from said field position to said transportingposition.

4. A bale wagon as claimed in claim 3 wherein the portion of said sideframe that engages said draw bar has a roller mounted along its lowerside to engage said draw bar.

5. A bale wagon as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongated frame hasin front of said pivotal mounting a cross member above said wheeledchassis and another cross member below said wheeled chassis, said crossmembers being adapted to slide in contact with said wheeled chassis torestrain vertical movement between said elongated frame and said wheeledchassis.

6. An automatic loading and unloading bale wagon comprising:

a wheeled chassis, an elongated frame mounted on said wheeled chassis, arotor and outer supporting means forming a plurality of storagecompartments, said rotor mounted longitudinally above said elongatedframe and having radial dividers such that said rotor resembles anaxially elongated paddle wheel, said compartments being defined by saiddividers, an endless flat conveyor disposed longitudinally within saidframe, the upper surface of said conveyor providing a supporting surfaceacross which bales can be slid easily, the path of the outer edges ofsaid dividers of said rotor being a short distance above said conveyor,the width of said conveyor being approximately the same as the width ofeach of said compartments, said outer supporting means attached to thesides of said elongated frame, said outer supporting means having firstand second portions with arcuate cross sections extending outwardly andupwardly from adjacent respective sides of said endless flat conveyorand being disposed around and adjacent the path of the outer edges ofsaid dividers of said rotor to a height at least comparable to theheight of the axis of said rotor, the inside surface of said supportingmeans and the upper surface of said endless conveyor being adjacent toprovide in at least one circumferential direction a continuousunobstructed support to facilitate the sliding of bales by rotation ofsaid rotor,

said endless flat conveyor being operable to convey bales along any oneof said compartments positioned over the conveyor, and control means torotate said rotor for moving laterally rows of bales positioned inrespective ones of said storage compartments readily between saidconveyor and said outer supporting means.

7. A bale wagon as claimed in claim 6 wherein said outer supportingmeans has spaced diametral ridges for its inside surface and saidendless flat conveyor has spaced transverse bars to form its uppersurface to facilitate the sliding of bales by rotation of said rotor.

8. A bale wagon as claimed in claim '7 wherein said rotor is rotatablein only one direction, the lower ends of said spaced diametral ridges ofsaid first portion over which said storage compartments pass as theyapproach said endless flat conveyor having inner surfaces effectivelyabove said transverse bars of said endless flat conveyor and the lowerends of said spaced diametral ridges of said second portion on theopposite side of said endless flat conveyor having inner surfaces belowthe upper surfaces of said transverse bars.

1. An automatic loading and unloading bale wagon comprising: anelongated frame, a plurality of rotatable storage compartments mountedon said elongated frame, a conveyor, said conveyor having a pick-upsection pivoted on a horizontal axis to the front of said elongatedframe and a loading section disposed longitudinally within saidelongated frame, a wheeled chassis, a pivotal mounting on said wheeledchassis, said elongated frame being supported on said pivotal mounting,controllable means to rotate said elongated frame on said chassisbetween a straight transporting position and an angular field positionin which said pick-up section is positioned to travel at one side of thepath of travel of said wheeled chassis, said storage compartmentscomprising a rotatable frame shaped like an axially elongated paddlewheel mounted on its axis longitudinally above said elongated frame, anouter supporting member along each side of said elongated frame, each ofsaid outer supporting members having an arcuate lateral cross sectionand spaced diametral ridges with their respective lower ends adjacentsaid loading section of said conveyor and extending in a curved lineupwardly near said rotatable frame to a height approximately even withthe axis thereof.
 2. A bale wagon as claimed in claim 1 wherein saidconveyor is an endless flat type conveyor, controllable motor meansconnected to said rotatable frame to rotate said storage compartments inonly one direction, said outer supporting member over which each of saidstorage compartments pass as they approach said conveyor having a lowerinner edge effectively above said loading section of said conveyor, andthe other of said outer supporting members on the opposite side of saidconveyor having a bottom inner edge effectively below the upper surfaceof said loading section of said conveyor.
 3. A bale wagon as claimed inclaim 1 wherein said pick-up section of said conveyor includes anendless flat conveyor having a pair of side frame members, a guide railalong the upper side of each of said frame members, said wheeled chassishas a V-shaped draw bar with its apex adapted for coupling to a tractorand its opposite ends connected to respective sides of the front end ofsaid wheeled chassis, whereby one of said side frame members of saidpicK-up section of said conveyor engages an adjacent portion of saiddraw bar to raise it to a substantially level position for transportionas said frame is rotated on said wheeled chassis from said fieldposition to said transporting position.
 4. A bale wagon as claimed inclaim 3 wherein the portion of said side frame that engages said drawbar has a roller mounted along its lower side to engage said draw bar.5. A bale wagon as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elongated frame hasin front of said pivotal mounting a cross member above said wheeledchassis and another cross member below said wheeled chassis, said crossmembers being adapted to slide in contact with said wheeled chassis torestrain vertical movement between said elongated frame and said wheeledchassis.
 6. An automatic loading and unloading bale wagon comprising: awheeled chassis, an elongated frame mounted on said wheeled chassis, arotor and outer supporting means forming a plurality of storagecompartments, said rotor mounted longitudinally above said elongatedframe and having radial dividers such that said rotor resembles anaxially elongated paddle wheel, said compartments being defined by saiddividers, an endless flat conveyor disposed longitudinally within saidframe, the upper surface of said conveyor providing a supporting surfaceacross which bales can be slid easily, the path of the outer edges ofsaid dividers of said rotor being a short distance above said conveyor,the width of said conveyor being approximately the same as the width ofeach of said compartments, said outer supporting means attached to thesides of said elongated frame, said outer supporting means having firstand second portions with arcuate cross sections extending outwardly andupwardly from adjacent respective sides of said endless flat conveyorand being disposed around and adjacent the path of the outer edges ofsaid dividers of said rotor to a height at least comparable to theheight of the axis of said rotor, the inside surface of said supportingmeans and the upper surface of said endless conveyor being adjacent toprovide in at least one circumferential direction a continuousunobstructed support to facilitate the sliding of bales by rotation ofsaid rotor, said endless flat conveyor being operable to convey balesalong any one of said compartments positioned over the conveyor, andcontrol means to rotate said rotor for moving laterally rows of balespositioned in respective ones of said storage compartments readilybetween said conveyor and said outer supporting means.
 7. A bale wagonas claimed in claim 6 wherein said outer supporting means has spaceddiametral ridges for its inside surface and said endless flat conveyorhas spaced transverse bars to form its upper surface to facilitate thesliding of bales by rotation of said rotor.
 8. A bale wagon as claimedin claim 7 wherein said rotor is rotatable in only one direction, thelower ends of said spaced diametral ridges of said first portion overwhich said storage compartments pass as they approach said endless flatconveyor having inner surfaces effectively above said transverse bars ofsaid endless flat conveyor and the lower ends of said spaced diametralridges of said second portion on the opposite side of said endless flatconveyor having inner surfaces below the upper surfaces of saidtransverse bars.